The Truth Comes Out
by Shanook
Summary: When Artemis finally tells the team about her past how will they react? And when she goes missing how far will a young speedster go to get her back? Spitfire!
1. Prologue

**Author's note: Hi this is my first ever fanfiction (and I do mean ever) so I hope you enjoy, Spitfire FTW! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story.**

**Prologue:**

Leaves drifted slowly through the dark alley, illuminated by the full moon above. It was peaceful, but probably a place one would not want to be caught alone. Against a wall stood a phone booth, a sign displaying 'Out Of Order'. Suddenly a bright flash erupted from the booth and left as quickly as it came. In its place stood an archer, her blonde hair pulled back into a long pony tail.

Artemis sighed; this mission had been difficult and left her completely exhausted. Scrapes and bruises adorned her arms, adding to her collection. To be perfectly honest though she didn't mind, she thought of them as her own little souvenirs. Stretching she began to walk slowly from the alley, there was no need to rush after all and she knew that her mother would already be asleep.

The sound of leaves crunching underfoot from behind stopped her in her tracks. Quickly she whirled around, bow and arrow poised to shoot. She was alone… Heart racing she looked around, no one was in sight.

"I thought I taught you better than that," a deep voice sounded from behind her.

Artemis' heart skipped a beat and she jumped. The voice was eerily familiar. Spinning on her heel she turned to face its source but like before, she stood alone in the alley.

"Playing games are we? Like you and your little team?" the voice laughed.

"What do you want" Artemis managed to choke out in barely a whisper.

He laughed again.

"What do you think I want; to have a friendly chat? Oh please Artemis, surely you have some clue as to what I want."

"I'm not coming with you," Artemis replied, louder than before.

Silence.

Bow and arrow still poised, Artemis began to start slowly edging her way from the alley but suddenly another laugh sounded.

"I thought you might say that my dear and quite frankly I don't know if you'll really have a choice."

Artemis stiffened, was an ambush waiting for her outside the alley? Her skin began to crawl as she tried her best not to allow her fear to show. She wouldn't go back, she couldn't… At least, she wouldn't go without a fight anyway.

"How do you think your little team will react when they find out? How do you think they will react when they find out who your family is and who you used to be?" the voice had changed from calm to an angry snarl.

Artemis recoiled as if she had just been hit. How would they react? How would Wal… Quickly she shook those thoughts from her mind and glared around, trembling with anger. Her team was her family now and she hoped that they would understand.

The voice continued. "Do you really think they will want to be on the same team as someone who lied to them? Someone who completely betrayed their trust? You must be fooling yourself Artemis; you won't be accepted by them ever again. There is only one place you belong, with me at my side serving The League of Shadows."

Artemis almost laughed at him. At his side? Oh please, she'd be more like a pawn he would use to do his dirty deeds, like before. She would be used to help him look good. How stupid did he really think she was?

"There's no way you'd be able to get in contact with them, and besides, why would they ever believe you?" Artemis growled. To be perfectly honest, this was a bluff and she hoped he would fall for it.

He laughed again, louder and sounding more amused than before. Quickly he came back to his senses and Artemis was greeted by silence once more.

Gripping her bow tightly she began to scan the alley, hoping to locate her target.

"Don't even bother trying to shoot me; you'll only see me when I want you to." She could hear the smile in his voice.

"That won't stop me from trying" Artemis murmured under her breath, her glare becoming more intense.

"I have my ways Artemis; you know you shouldn't question that. I could contact them right now and tell them everything without a second thought. There's no way you'll win this one my dear," he said, softer than before.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Artemis yelled, anger and frustration bubbling over.

There was a small pause before Artemis felt a large warm hand on her shoulder. Flinching, she turned to face the man that had been taunting her, her father.

"Because you are my daughter," was all he said as he glared down at her.

Artemis almost choked and jumped back. Quickly she pointed her bow and arrow towards him, aimed directly at his heart. He continued to glare at her, completely ignoring the weapon that threatened to take his life.

She pulled the string of the bow back slowly, as if willing him to make a move. They stood there for a long moment before she lowered her weapon, disgusted with herself.

Her father growled with anger and disappeared. "I thought I taught you MUCH better than that!"

Shocked Artemis spun around, looking for where he went, instantly regretting not shooting him.

"Sorry to disappoint you," she growled "but I'm not like you."

"In good time dear, in good time," was all he said.

Artemis began to back out of the alley, her eyes darting around for any sign of her father.

"Remember Artemis, you can still return to us," was the last thing she heard him say before she left the alley.

Anger and fear pulsed throughout her body. She didn't want her team finding out, especially through her father. Thinking quickly she made her decision, she would tell them herself on her own terms, before her father got the chance to do so himself.

Taking a deep breath she began making her way home, contemplating how she was going to break it to the team and wondering how they would take it.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's note: YAY I feel so loved, thanks for the reviews XD Here's chapter one, hope you enjoy this one, the Spitfire is just starting up! Please keep reviewing, they make me so happy :P The next chapter will be up soon.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

**Chapter 1:**

Artemis stared into the living room of Mount Justice. Her friends were all there, being themselves, blissfully unaware of the mind battle Artemis was having with herself. She was having strong doubts about how the team would take the news she was about to break to them. Would they see why she didn't tell them? Would they forgive her? Her eyes lingered on Wally for a moment longer than the rest, what would _he _think? Quickly she shook her head. It wasn't about what one person thought in particular, it was what the team thought as a whole.

She leant on the doorway, holding her breath. What would she _say_? Everything she thought of just sounded corny or stupid. Bringing her hand up to her face, she pinched the brim of her nose and closed her eyes, deep in thought. She didn't notice what was going on around her; she was too caught up in her internal struggle. Suddenly the walls felt as if they were closing in on her and her eyes snapped open. Robin and Wally (the closest to where she was standing) turned to look at her with confusion, she hadn't realised she had openly gasped.

"Are you okay Artemis? You look kinda pale," Robin openly stated, looking slightly concerned.

"Umm, yeah I'm fine," she replied quickly, brushing him off.

Robin shrugged and then grinned returning his attention to the television. Wally however was watching her, one of his eyebrows cocked. Artemis glared back at him, attempting to make his gaze waver. This action however, did not do its job.

Inwardly growling, Artemis made her way over to where Kaldur was sitting by the kitchen bench, aware of Wally's gaze following her. Kaldur was reading a book and had not noticed her arrival until she took a seat beside him. He smiled warmly at her before marking his page and shutting it, turning his attention to the archer.

"Oh please don't let me disturb you," she said quickly before being cut off with a small hand gesture.

"It's okay I don't mind, something is clearly bothering you," he told her kindly.

Artemis dropped her gaze from the older boys face. Something was _more_ that bothering her, it was eating her from the inside out! Clearing her throat she resumed eye contact with him. His face was open, willing her to continue.

"I may or may not have a problem," she blurted out, wincing at how dumb she had just sounded.

"Which is?" Kaldur prompted, smiling.

There was a long pause as Artemis tried to think of something to say. Without realising it, she began to tap her fingers with nervousness. Mentally cursing herself she stared up at the ceiling, hoping that Kaldur would understand.

"Hypothetically speaking," she cringed, that was not what she had wanted to say but she decided to go with it. "If someone decided not tell their friends about their past, which is really bad, could that be seen as betrayal?"

Kaldur thought for a moment before answering, his eyes curious. "I guess it would depend on the situation… Which would happen to be?"

Artemis froze, unsure as to what to say in response to his question. She felt her heart beat quicken and her temperature rise.

"There isn't one," was all she managed to say, backing out of telling him.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow questioningly but decided not to press the matter, knowing Artemis would tell him when she felt ready.

Artemis mentally slapped herself, she had her chance and she blew it! She slumped in her seat and sighed, why did this have to be so difficult. Quickly she stood up and tucked her chair in, turning to face Kaldur once again.

"Thanks," she said forcing a smile.

"It's no problem at all Artemis, if you want to continue this discussion later I'd be happy to oblige" he responded warmly.

Artemis smiled again, this time it wasn't forced. Maybe she was overreacting? She turned to walk away but not before sounding another thanks over her shoulder. She didn't get too far before the sound of M'Gann calling her name and the smell of freshly baked cookies wafted over to her. She turned to greet the Martian.

"Hey Artemis, would you like a cookie?" she asked, smiling as she held the platter out to the archer.

Before she even had the chance to take one, Wally zipped over to her side and took one first, biting into it.

"Mmm, they're sweet, just like you Megs," Wally said grinning, crumbs on his bottom lip.

Artemis snorted and took a cookie, eating it quickly, trying to look cheerful as she did so. M'Gann looked at her expectantly, waiting for Artemis to say something. Suddenly her stomach did something that felt like a backflip, had M'Gann been going through her mind without her consent?

"Well? What do you think?" she asked her grin widening.

Artemis almost crumpled over with relief; she wanted to know what she thought of the cookies.

"They're great M'Gann, keep it up," Artemis replied, hoping to cover up her mistake.

If it were even possible, M'Gann's smile widened.

"Thanks Artemis, I'll go and make some more then," she said turning away quickly with her now empty platter after Wally had demolished the remaining cookies.

M'Gann was greeted by Conner who promptly put his arm around her shoulder. Artemis noticed Wally watching the two jealously and elbowed him in the ribs before sitting down beside Robin on the couch. Wally joined them, sitting beside her with crossed arms.

"I don't get why they didn't tell us, we're a team, we shouldn't have to keep secrets from each other," he mumbled quietly.

Artemis stiffened visibly beside him, guilt gnawing at her belly like a starving tiger. Robin noticed her moment of uneasiness and looked at her. Artemis noticed and glared daggers in his direction, making him quickly divert his gaze to the television.

Sighing, Artemis leant back into the cushions on the couch. She closed her eyes and began to think once more. What was she going to say? What was she going to do? Her thoughts were interrupted by Wally prodding her side. She opened one eye, looked in his general direction and was surprized to make instant eye contact with him.

"Yes?" she asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked softly which made Artemis' spine tingle.

She closed her eye and sat in silence, aware of his unwavering green gaze. Why did this have to be so difficult? She wanted to tell him… She wanted to tell them but that doubt still lingered in the back of her mind. What if they thought she was the mole? They would never see her the same way they do now and she had found it so difficult in the first place to establish herself on the team properly.

"Earth to Artemis!" Artemis' thoughts were once again disturbed by Wally.

This time she opened both eyes and turned to face him, her eyes a mix of emotions. Robin watched in curiosity, wondering what was about to play out in front of him. He expected a snarky remark from Artemis but no, she hung her head and gazed down at the couch. Wally's face flashed with concern.

"I have something to tell everyone," she whispered, barely audible.

Conner turned his attention from M'Gann to Artemis, having overheard what she'd said with his super hearing.

"What was that?" Wally asked, genuinely not hearing what she had said.

Artemis cleared her throat, locking eyes with everyone in the room before repeating herself.

"I said I have something I need to tell everyone."

She stood slowly and turned the television off and turned so that she could see everyone. Taking a deep breath she began to explain everything. How Sportsmaster was her father, how Cheshire was her sister, who her mother was and worst of all, her past.

She was greeted by silence.

By the time she had finished explaining, her head hung with shame. She wondered what was running through her team mates minds… If that's what she could call them anymore that is. Before she had time to utter another word Robin stood and walked up beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I already knew and I still view you as my team mate," he told her quietly.

Artemis would have hugged him if it wouldn't have been slightly awkward. She glanced around hopefully at the others, waiting for them to respond. Kaldur stood, looking her directly in the eye.

"You could have told us before… But everyone has their secrets," he told her calmly but there was no mistaking the look of disappointment that crossed his face.

She looked over at M'Gann who looked as if she were on the verge of tears. Guilt made Artemis feel as if she were going to vomit. She began to make her way over to her but Conner growled, startling her.

"You didn't trust us?" M'Gann asked quietly, clearly fighting back tears.

"No it's not that, it's… Hard to explain," was all Artemis managed to choke out.

Conner stepped forward, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were turning white. His icy blue eyes blazed with that much anger Artemis would have flinched is she were anyone else. He stood in front of M'Gann, as if to protect her from harm, which Artemis found a little insulting.

"You're the mole!" he snarled, raising his fists.

This time Artemis did flinch, not from fear but from hurt. She was not the mole! This is why she had told them, to prevent them from thinking so if they had found out from other sources. She glared at him as her temper began to rise.

Kaldur turned to Conner, his face concerned.

"Conner now is not the time to be throwing around accusations," he said calmly, staring at the clone with a hard look.

"NO! She _is_ the mole, look at the facts! Sportsmaster, Cheshire, it's all there!" Conner yelled, throwing his arms up in rage.

"She's not the mole," Robin said firmly, moving closer to Artemis. "The League knew about her past and still allowed her to join they wouldn't have done that if we couldn't trust her."

Conner refused to listen and took a few more steps forward.

"She's the mole and that's all there is to it! She can't remain on this team!" he cried, veins pulsing with rage.

Artemis looked over at M'Gann for help but the other girl looked away. Her stomach dropped, her best friend wasn't defending her.

"Search my mind M'Gann, see that I am not the mole," Artemis offered, her anger catching some of her words in her throat.

"NO! Because all she will see there are more lies!" Conner snapped, shielding M'Gann once more.

Artemis almost lunged at him but stopped herself, knowing it would not play out in her favour. She turned to the one person who had not yet said a word, Wally. He sat surveying the scene playing out before him, his face tight with confusion and uncertainty. She wanted him to say something; anything but he just sat in silence.

"What are you looking at him for?" Conner demanded, slamming his fist down on the counter leaving a rather large crater in its place.

Robin and Kaldur looked at Artemis hopelessly, they knew she would find it extremely difficult to convince Conner she wasn't the mole. As for Wally, neither was sure as to what he was thinking.

Artemis glared at the ground, she knew this wouldn't end well, if only she hadn't of said anything. Quickly she turned and exited through the Zeta tube, leaving the others to think about what they had just learned.

"She had better not think of coming back," Conner snapped, placing his arm around M'Gann and leading her to her room.

Robin and Kaldur watched them leave then turned to each other. Neither one of them knew what to say or do. Wally remained silent, now staring at the floor. His mind racing as he thought about what he had just learned. Robin took a seat beside him and let out a sharp breath, peering at the red head through his mask.

"Hey KF, are you okay?" he asked, placing a hand on his friends shoulder.

Wally shrugged it off and stood up quickly, his eyes flickering between Robin and Kaldur. He ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath, unsure as to what he felt.

"Bathroom," was all he said before he sped away, leaving Kaldur and Robin.

Kaldur sighed and sat on the couch, watching Robin carefully. Robin was still staring in the direction that Wally had gone.

"How do you think he's taking it?" he asked the younger boy.

Robin seemed rather startled and turned, quickly clearing his mind.

"I don't know, he's clearly shocked but I have no idea what he's thinking or what he's going to do next."

Kaldur nodded and leaned backwards, covering his face with his hands and yawning.

"Maybe you should ask him, you know, talk to him about it," he suggested.

Robin turned back to the way Wally had run, scratching his head and contemplating whether or not Kaldur's idea was a good one or not.

"I'll talk to him," he confirmed before slowly starting to edge his way down the hallway in search of his friend.

Robin knew that Wally wouldn't want to talk about it so he didn't try too hard to find him. Although he did happen to find him sitting by the beach later on, deep in thought, but he decided to leave him be.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Thank you so much for all of the reviews! They prompt me a lot :P All of your questions will be answered at some point in the story so stay tuned XD**

**Special thanks goes out to my bestie Anonymity! She proof read and edited my work making it even better than it was before along with giving me some great ideas! XD Oh and stop trollin you bitch ;) **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 2:**

Ding Dong.

"Wally, can you get the door?"

Wally sat, staring blankly at the television set ahead of him, thinking. He took no notice of what was going on before him… or anything for that matter. His mind was on one thing and one thing only: Artemis.

He didn't know what to feel; angry that she didn't tell them? Guilt that he didn't stick up for her against Conner? He buried his face in his hands and groaned; he just couldn't shake her from his mind.

"WALLY!"

Startled, Wally jumped and looked around, having been brought back to reality.

"Wally, answer the door, Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris are waiting," Wally's mother called from the kitchen.

Barry… he would have known! He would have known about Artemis' past just like all of the other League members and he kept it from him! How could he? They were partners, after all.

"Wally, get the door!" his mother called again, agitation now clear in her voice.

Wally quickly got up from his seat and ran to the door, not wanting to be yelled at again. He slowly opened it and was greeted by the smiling faces of his Aunt and Uncle.

"Hey there, kiddo!" Barry said grinning, reaching out to ruffle Wally's hair.

Wally took a step back and glared up at him before turning away and walking back to the living room, dropping back onto the couch. Barry and Iris shared a glance of confusion before proceeding to enter the house and greet Mary and Rudolph. Wally resumed staring blankly at the television screen while thinking about Artemis.

...

"Wally, dinner is ready!"

Normally Wally would have raced to the table, almost taking it out in the process, but instead he glanced sideways at the doorway and slowly raised himself from his seat. This dinner was going to be awkward.

Slowly he trudged into the dining room and made his way to the far end of the table. Usually Wally would take a seat beside Barry and the two would discuss the many shenanigans they had together, but instead he sat as far away from him as possible, glaring. Barry smiled at him, confused as to what had gotten into the young speedster. Wally didn't react; he just continued to glare.

"So Wally, how's the team going?" Iris asked, breaking the silence as they waited for the food to be served.

Wally peeled his eyes away from Barry and looked over at his Aunt. She smiled at him encouragingly. Wally sighed and sat up a little straighter than before, giving her direct eye contact.

"Okay I guess," he mumbled, resting his chin on the palm of his hand and looking down.

Iris' smile faded slightly and she nudged Barry, encouraging him to say something.

"So err, got any girl news for us, sport?" he asked, grinning.

Wally cringed; he had more than news alright. He lifted his gaze to meet Barry's, ignoring his stupid grin. He wanted to yell at him, ask him why he hadn't told him before. Instead, he leant back in his chair and folded his arms against his chest, lifting his eyes and shifting his glare from Barry to the ceiling.

"I'll take that as a no then," Barry said quietly, dropping his grin.

Mary and Rudolph brought out bowls of spaghetti, two larger sized ones for Barry and Wally. When the bowl was placed in front of him, Wally just sat there eyeing it off. Barry had immediately dug into his while Iris, Rudolph and Mary had started a quiet conversation among themselves about work.

Wally continued to stare at his food, rolling one of the meat balls around with his fork. Barry finished his bowl quickly and received a second serving. Before he started eating however, he noticed Wally had not taken a bite from his own. His gut twinged with curiosity; what had gotten into Wally? Normally he would be competing with him to see who could eat theirs the fastest, or who could eat the most, but instead Wally just sat there looking upset. He couldn't remember a time when Wally had not talked to him or glared at him the way he had earlier. What had he done wrong?

Barry began to eat his second serving, watching Wally carefully. Wally happened to notice and shot him another one of his angry glares, finally taking a bite from his food which would have been getting cold. Barry wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to do so in front of everyone else. Maybe he was embarrassed about something? No that couldn't be it; if he were embarrassed about something he wouldn't be glaring at him like that. Or maybe he had done something to embarrass him…

Wally had taken two or three more bites before standing, catching his parents' attention.

"May I be excused?" he asked in a somewhat monotonic voice.

Mary and Rudolph looked shocked, Wally had barley eaten anything! Iris gave Barry a worried look.

"Are you sure you've had enough?" Mary asked, looking concerned.

Wally nodded, quickly took his plate and put it by the sink to be cleaned later.

"I'm sure," he said, brushing past his parents and making his way to the living room.

Iris and Barry watched him go, confusion settling over their features. They turned to Mary and Rudolph who shrugged, just as confused as them.

"Do you think one of their missions went wrong or something?" Rudolph asked, breaking the silence.

Barry shook his head, thinking.

"No it couldn't be that, Wally didn't seem happy to see us," Iris answered, turning to Barry.

"It hasn't got anything to do with you Iris," Barry said quickly. "It's to do with me; he spoke to you before… but I can't think of what I might have done to get this kind of reaction out of him."

"Maybe you should go and talk to him then," Iris suggested, gesturing towards the living room.

Barry sighed and stood, rubbing the back of his neck. "I probably should."

...

Wally sat in front of the television, this time attempting to watch what was on instead of just staring at it. He couldn't help but let his mind wander slightly onto the topic of Artemis; no matter how much he tried he couldn't keep her out of his mind.

Barry entered the room, he seemed slightly nervous and didn't know what to expect from the teenager. Quietly he made his way over to the couch and sat next to him, making it seem as if he had come to watch the television. Wally glanced in his direction before diverting his gaze, trying to make it seem as if he hadn't noticed his arrival.

"So… Is there anything good on?" Barry asked, attempting to start a conversation.

Wally glanced at him again. "Does it look like there is?"

Barry quickly looked down and began tapping his fingers on his knees. This was not going to go well. Clearing his throat he looked directly at Wally, aiming to get straight to the point.

"Wally, have I done something…?" but before Barry could finish his question, Wally rose to his feet.

"Done something?" Wally yelled, pointing a finger at his uncle. "Why don't you try DIDN'T do something? You knew! You knew all along and you didn't tell me!"

Shocked, Barry sat back and stared up at Wally. What the hell was he going on about?

"You kept it from me… from all of us! She did too! Now everything is stuffed up and…" Wally paused, having lost his train of thought.

"Wally, I don't know what…" before Barry could finish Wally cut in again.

"Don't say you didn't know! The whole League knew!" Wally shouted before punching the wall, leaving an indent and a crack in its place.

Staring at the mark in shock, Wally quickly turned and made his way up the stairs. Barry watched him go, confusion settling in his mind.

"Barry?"

Barry turned and saw Iris standing in the doorway, he locked eyes with her and she quickly made her way to his side.

"What happened?" she asked, concerned.

Barry put his face in his hands and sighed, replaying what had just occurred in his mind.

"He is certainly angry with me about something, but I didn't happen to pick up on what it was," he explained. "It had something to do with me knowing something and not telling him…"

Iris thought for a moment before placing a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"I'll go talk to him," she said quietly before making her way to the staircase and slowly scaling it.

Barry stood and watched her go before turning and walking back to the kitchen to help Mary and Rudolph with the dishes.

...

Iris walked down the hallway towards Wally's room; his door was open slightly as it had failed to close even after he had slammed it shut. She approached the door quietly and peered into the room. Wally paced back and forth, a blur to the human eye. Iris sighed; she honestly had no idea what to expect.

"Wally," she said quietly, catching his attention.

Wally skidded to a halt and looked over at his aunt.

"Can I come in?"

Wally's eyes shifted to the floor and he nodded slowly. Smiling, Iris walked over to his bed and sat down, gesturing for him to do the same. He eyed her suspiciously but complied, sitting down beside her with a low groan.

"Now Wally, are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" she asked calmly.

Wally held his breath; he didn't know what to say exactly, so many things were racing through his mind. Iris sat patiently, waiting for him to respond.

"Her father is Sportsmaster! Her sister is Cheshire! Her past, it's…" Wally stopped midsentence, remembering his shock when she had broken it to the team.

"Who is it we are talking about?" Iris asked, confused.

"Artemis," he breathed.

His response confused Iris even more.

"This has to do with Barry because?"

"He knew all of this! He knew about her past and didn't tell me… us," Wally yelled, frustrated.

Now it made sense.

"Wally dear, it wasn't Barry's place to tell you," she told him quietly.

"But…" Wally was at a loss for words.

"As for this girl Artemis, she can't help who her family is, nor can she change the past," Iris said, looking her nephew in the eye.

"That's not why I'm angry though," Wally said quickly.

Iris raised an eyebrow and waited for him to go on. Wally sighed.

"It feels like… she didn't trust us," he whispered, looking down at the floor.

"Everyone has their secrets; some may be willing to share more than others. You have to respect their wishes and allow them to tell you in their own time, if at all."

Wally sat up straight and slammed his fist down on the bed.

"That's not all, though. Superboy… he thinks Artemis is the mole and drove her away… she can't be the mole… she isn't the mole, she's just too… too Artemis to be acting as a spy!" Wally said angrily, his voice getting louder with each word.

Mole? Iris had no idea as to what Wally was talking about but didn't question him.

"Wally, if you say she's not the mole, that's all that should matter to you. Don't worry about what other people think, stick with your own thoughts."

Wally seemed surprized and smiled a little. "Thanks."

Iris patted him on the back and stood up. "I'm glad I helped."

She left the room, leaving Wally to his thoughts. Tomorrow he was going to apologise. Apologise for not saying anything, for not sticking up for her against Conner. He would tell her that her past didn't matter to him, tell her what his aunt had told him, you can't change the past.

Feeling a lot better than before, he ran downstairs to talk to Barry and apologise for the way he had treated him. Barry was fine with it and not long after, Wally and Barry were up to their usual antics again.

After they left, Wally went back up to his room and sat on his bed. Tomorrow he was going to fix everything.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Hi guys, sorry about the long break. For the past how long it was I've had tendonitis in my wrist from drumming, which is very painful. It's been in a brace so it's been a bit of a pain to type :/ Sorry but I hope this chapter is worth it, my wrist is still in the brace but I thought I owed it to you guys because of how awesome you all are in leaving reviews and alerting my story :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice (no duh) :P**

**Chapter 3:**

Sunlight slowly crept through the blinds of Wally's room, highlighting the Flash posters that adorned his walls. The young speedster quickly flung his blanket to the floor and, in a matter of seconds, changed from his pyjamas into his jeans and t-shirt. The events from the previous day flooded Wally's memory, and he felt his stomach drop.

"Artemis," he murmured to himself, guilt washing over him.

He quickly glanced around his room and stretched. Wally remembered the promise he made to himself about making everything better and ran from his room. Once downstairs, he was greeted by the scent of food wafting from the kitchen. Wally peeked through the doorway and spotted his mother busying herself around the stove.

"Wally dear, is that you?" she asked, having sensed someone watching her.

"Yeah it's me. Good morning."

"Come, sit down; breakfast is almost ready," Mary replied cheerily.

"Umm, would you mind if I skipped out on breakfast this morning?" Wally asked quietly.

"You need your breakfast sweetheart," she told him with surprise, without taking her eyes from the stove.

"I know… I mean, they have food at the Cave, I'll just grab something there."

Mary turned to face her son and sighed.

"If you must."

Wally grinned at his mother and then dashed away, but not before he had called a quick thanks over his shoulder.

He burst through the door and raced down the street, speeding up as he went. Wally enjoyed the feeling of the wind rushing through his hair as he ran; he found it rather soothing. Running also gave him time to think in peace, which allowed him try and come up with something he could say to Artemis at when he arrived at the Cave. He knew he had to apologise and that he was going to repeat what his Aunt Iris had told him; the only problem was that he didn't know how to go about it. Many different scenarios played out in his mind as to how everything would turn out, some of which made his spine tingle or made him doubt himself. He arrived at the Zeta tube and took a deep breath. This was it. It was now or never. He just had to make amends with Artemis.

He stepped forward; there was a bright flash as he was beamed into the Cave. A robotic voice announced his arrival when he appeared, and he strode silently towards the kitchen. Robin watched him; usually Wally would have greeted him in some way before he went to the kitchen, but this time he didn't say a word. Concerned, Robin made his way over to his best friend.

"Hey KF."

Wally turned his attention from the fridge to Robin, he flashed a quick smile.

"Hey, have you seen Artemis? I need to talk to her."

The question surprised Robin. That Wally wanted to have what sounded like a civilised conversation with her was one thing, but the fact that he wanted to have what sounded like a civilised conversation with her AFTER what had happened the day before surprised was something else completely. Something was definitely going on here.

"Ah, no, she's the only one that hasn't arrived yet." he answered in a puzzled tone.

"Oh." was all Wally said before turning back to the fridge to find something good to eat.

Robin turned away from his friend and shrugged as he made his way to the couch. Something was very wrong.

The Zeta tube announced the arrival of Green Arrow, and Wally felt his stomach drop. He awaited the imminent announcement of Artemis's arrival, but it didn't come. Green Arrow stood with crossed arms and surveyed the room. Kaldur, who had been sitting on the couch reading a book, looked up expectantly.

"Has anyone seen my niece?" he asked casually.

A snort sounded as Conner and M'Gann walked into the room, coming from the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Wally also entered, instead coming from the kitchen; he scratched the back of his head nervously.

Green Arrow shot Conner a confused look, who in turn, glared back at him. This surprized the archer.

"I'll take that as a no then?"

"Green Arrow," Wally said quietly, his stomach now somersaulting within him.

Green Arrow turned away from Conner to face the young speedster.

"We… we know she's not your niece…"

Green Arrow stared at Wally in shock; he was speechless.

"She told us yesterday… then, um, she got upset and left. She hasn't come in this morning." was all Wally managed to say before Green Arrow's gaze caused him to fall silent.

Green Arrow took a deep breath and then rubbed his chin.

"I see… well then, I should probably go and inform Black Canary that Artemis won't be in training today…"

Allowing his gaze to linger on Wally for a moment, Green Arrow turned away from the teenagers and exited through the Zeta tube. Wally continued to stare into the space where Green Arrow previously stood, his guilt beginning to gnaw at his stomach once again.

Conner grunted and then led M'Gann to the kitchen. He was obviously still mad at Artemis, along with Green Arrow for lying to them.

"Hey Rob?" Wally murmured.

"Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you in private for a moment?"

Kaldur glanced over at Wally, he had a feeling he knew what he wanted to talk about, the subject being that of Artemis.

"Sure," he answered a little suspiciously, shrugging as he followed Wally who was making his way down to his bedroom.

The two walked in silence until they arrived at Wally's bedroom door. Wally opened it slowly and entered, followed by Robin who made his way over to the swivel chair at Wally's computer desk. He swung it around to face Wally who had taken a seat at the end of his bed.

"What's the problem?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"It's… it's about Artemis," Wally answered, running his hand through his hair nervously.

"Go on," Robin prompted.

"I… I want to see if she's okay and I want to apologise for yesterday."

There was a pause.

"And you want me to tell you where she lives?" Robin asked casually.

Wally was slightly taken aback that was exactly what he wanted.

"Yeah."

"Wally, maybe you should give her some time-"

"NO! I need to talk to her; I need to tell her I'm sorry… I need to fix this," Wally cried out suddenly.

Robin was surprised with Wally's sudden outburst and looked at him through narrow eyes.

"Wally."

"Please Robin, I need to do this," Wally said, sounding a lot calmer than before.

"What makes you think I know where she lives, anyway?"

Wally raised an eyebrow and Robin laughed.

"Okay Wally, I'll tell you," Robin said, grinning.

* * *

><p>Wally paced out the front of an apartment door. He was dressed as Kid Flash and was trying extremely hard not to vibrate due to his nervousness. Artemis was on the other side of this door, the very person he longed to see. His mind raced as it had done right before he entered to Zeta tube earlier that day, except this time his stomach felt as if it were in a tight knot.<p>

He knocked on the door three times and stood perfectly still, which felt odd for him. He stood for what felt like hours to him, before a woman in a wheelchair answered the door. Wally stood rigidly, his arms stiff at his side. The woman raised an eyebrow in surprise at the arrival of the teenager.

The two stared at each other for a long moment before woman's expression changed to one of confusion.

"Yes?" she asked, puzzled.

Wally cleared his throat and brought his left hand up to the back of his neck. He found it difficult to look the woman in the eye.

"Hi Mrs Crock, is Artemis available?" Wally asked politely.

Paula Crock's eyes opened wide as she stared at the boy.

"I thought she was with you and the team…"

Wally's heart began to race. Her mother thought she was with the team? So did that mean she hadn't been home? Or had she left that morning, lying about where she was going?

"When she didn't come home last night, I assumed she was on a mission," Paula whispered to herself.

Wally went cold. She hadn't gone home after the incident had occurred? Where could she have gone then?

He stared at Artemis' mother for a moment in shock before he realised he had begun to vibrate on the spot. Quickly he stopped himself and gripped the doorway. Paula looked at him expectantly but he couldn't think of anything to say or do, so he just stood there, trying to keep calm.

Wally's mind began a war with itself. It was all his fault! If only he had stood up for her against Conner… Conner… it was just as much his fault as it was his own, if not more! He was the one that had driven her away in the first place; he was the one that had called her the mole! Wally's muscles tensed, the thoughts made him angry and the anger was slowly bubbling up into rage.

"Sorry for disturbing you," Wally said quietly before dashing away, leaving Paula alone in the doorway.

Wally ran and mentally cursed as he went, why had he been so stupid? Why didn't he stand up for Artemis when he had the chance? Wally wanted to punch something, but running was just as good for the time being. Conner… his vision blurred when he thought of the clone, the one that had driven her away. Clenching his fists, Wally decided that he was going to confront him.

* * *

><p>The steady sound of water dripping echoed around the room. The puddle that had formed on the ground glowed slightly from the fragments of light that shone from a rectangular window in the door. Artemis' eyes flew open as she became aware of her surroundings. The air was damp and musky, making her feel uncomfortable, along with her inability to see clearly due to the lack of light. She was lying on an old mattress on the floor in the corner of the dark room. The mattress felt tattered and grimy underneath her.<p>

Artemis sat up slowly, which made her feel dizzy and her head ache. She brought her right hand up to a particularly painful spot on the back of her head. There she found a lump, suggesting she had been hit hard. She felt around for her bow but after a few moments, she realised it was not with her. With a groan she got to her feet, her legs shaking.

Carefully she made her way to the window in the door and peered through it. Nothing was out there but a white hallway with bright lights illuminate it from one end to the other.

She leant against the door in confusion. Had she been captured on a mission? No, that wasn't it. Suddenly it all came back to her; how she had told the team about her past, their reaction and then her leaving… something was missing though… something important. Scrunching up her features, she tried desperately to remember, and then it came to her.

She had exited the Zeta tube into the alley where her father had confronted her. She had begun to make her way home before she was ambushed… ambushed by her father and some of his men. As hard as she tried to fight them off, there were just too many. The last thing she remembered was her father coming at her with some sort of a bat.

Artemis groaned in response to the memory. Slowly she edged her way back over to the tattered mattress on the floor and sat down. Was anyone on their way to find her? No. Not after what had happened with the team. Why would they come looking for her after that? Conner certainly didn't want her back; he had accused her of being the mole! M'Gann just didn't want to hear anything she had to say after she had admitted the truth and Kaldur seemed disappointed in her. The only person that seemed unfazed was Robin, and as for Wally… she had no idea what he was thinking.

With a loud sigh, Artemis leaned against the back wall. She ignored how damp it was and closed her eyes in thought. What was Wally thinking? Was he angry with her? She hoped not, but knew he probably was… would he want her back on the team? Quickly she shook her head, what did she care what Wally thought anyway? She was nothing but a replacement to him. It wasn't important what he thought about her…

A loud bang brought Artemis back to reality. She opened her eyes, squinting in the light, and was greeted by the silhouette of a large man standing in the doorway.

"Awake I see," he said, humour in his voice. "Nice place, isn't it?"

Artemis scowled at the man but didn't reply.

"Spirited as always," the man grunted, "I told you that you wouldn't have a choice."

Avoiding his gaze, Artemis' eyes dropped from her father to the floor.

"So my dear, do tell me, how did your little team react?"

There was once again no reply from his daughter. Sportsmaster laughed.

"Just as I thought, they wanted nothing to do with you. Well I hope you've started to realise that there is no escaping me or who you are."

Artemis tried her best to ignore the man standing before her. The man who was supposed to be her father. Artemis inwardly snorted. He had sure never acted like one.

With another laugh, Sportsmaster turned away to face the hallway.

"You'll come around my dear," he said with a grin before closing the door and locking it from the outside.

Artemis stared at the door for a long time, hoping that somehow, it would swing open and she would be free. As much as she hoped it would, it never did, so she lay down on the mattress and closed her eyes. Her thoughts went from her father to the team. She remembered all the good times she had with them and how much she was already beginning to miss them. Slowly, without realising it, her mind went from the team as a whole to one teammate in particular… Wally. For the first time in a long time, a tear rolled down her cheek. She felt as if she had ruined everything. She felt as if she had just lost the one thing that made her feel good about herself. With a sigh, she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
